The Prevention and Education Committee met at 0900, October 18, 2000
in Whitefish, Montana.

PRESENT

Mike Dannenberg,
Chair

Connie Fox, Rep
for SW MT

Dick Rath, Rep for
SC MT

Bill Peterson, Tech.
Spec. in Education

John Allhands, Rep
for Central MT

Mike Santucci, Rep
for North Dakota

Sandy Groth, Rep
for North Idaho

Ann Acheson, Tech
Spec. in education

D.C. Haas, Tech.
Spec.

Denny Sutherlund,
Tech. Spec., absent

Lee Clark, Tech.
Spec., absent

Jim Green, MT. DES,
absent

Bruce Suenram, Tech.
Spec., absent

Pat Mullaney, Rep
for E MT

Jeff Stevenson,
Rep. for NW MT., absent

Jerry Smithers,
Guest, FEMA-Mitigation

BUSINESS

WORKSHOP

The first topic of discussion for this meeting was the upcoming
workshop.This committee is
hosting the combined Great Basin/ Northern Rockies Fire Prevention and Public
Safety Workshop.The workshop
will be held April 24-26, 2001 in Whitefish,
MT.The agenda was hammered
out and speakers identified, and organization
established.The NRCG spring
meeting is scheduled to take place concurrently with the
workshop.

FEMA

Jerry Smithers gave the committee a presentation on Hazard Mitigation
programs in the aftermath of the fire season and the potential for
flooding.Grant applications
are being accepted for mitigation projects within
Montana.Discussed the appraisal
process for grant application
evaluation.For more information
and grant applications for within Montana, contact Larry Ackers at
406-841-3960.

LEADERSHIP

In light of the fact that Mike Dannenberg had been appointed chair
of the Prevention and Education Committee for a two-year term three years
ago, the committee decided to hold elections for a chair and
vice-chair.DC Haas was chosen
to be the chair for the next two years, and Mike Santucci from North Dakota
will serve as vice chair.

TRAINING

The Committee had identified the lack of prevention training as one
of the shortfalls within the Northern
Rockies.An action item in the
strategic plan calls for this committee to support prevention training with
the Northern Training Center.Working in conjunction with the NTC, the Committee is hosting a P-301,
Wildland Fire Prevention Planning class to be held May 7-11,
2001.The steering group for this class consists
of:

Christa LoperSandy Groth

Dick RathJohn Allhands

DC HaasConnie Fox

Cathy Scofiel

Another training issue that was discussed was the need for more levels
of wildland fire prevention training.Currently, NWCG has sanctioned five P or prevention
courses.P-101 and P-110 are
introductory classes aimed at the first year firefighter with no prevention
training.The P-130 and P-151
classes are fire investigation courses, with little prevention
direction.The fifth class is
P-301, a prevention planning class.Another class is being taught at NARTC to prepare individuals for
Prevention Team membership.The
prevention and education committee feels that prevention training should
begin at Guard School and that 200 and 300 level courses in prevention
implementation are needed.

Action
Item:Dannenberg to write a letter to the NWCG requesting their support
in petitioning NWCG to further develop the wildfire prevention training
curriculum.

EDUCATION
PROGRAMS

Ann Atcheson and Bill Peterson gave an update on school programs and
the work that students are doing within the school
system.The Conservation and
Education group is working to coordinate education
programs.In Townsend a 10 year
plan is being worked on to create a Childrens Forest for learning;
the Bitterroot is hoping to hire an education coordinator; documents are
available for agencies to create a Fireworks
Trunk.The fireworks trunk
is a package intended for K-9 grade schools to provide hands-on teaching
of ecology, safety, W/U I, and fire
behavior.The Burning
Issues program was recently added to the trunk.

Another educational program called the Globe Program is an international,
inter-disciplinary earth science
program.The Globe Program has
high school students working on projects that I would need an interpreter
to understand.For more information
on Globe, call Bill Peterson.

The workshop committee has agreed to honor some of these students
at the April Workshop.

INTERFACE
CODES

Work continues on the interface code action
item.The proposal was for Bruce
Suenram to make a presentation to the NRCG meeting in
Dec.The committee is unsure
if Bruce will be available or be ready to make that date.

RESTRICTIONS

After a long 2000 fire season, it was apparent there were some problems
with the fire restriction and closure
process.After some discussion,
it was decided to table this issue until the January, 2001
meeting.All committee members
are requested to poll their agencies for fire restriction
inputs.The restriction issue
will also require agency leadership and zone coordinators be brought into
the development process.